A New Age for Camelot
by KyliaQuilor
Summary: It is the day of Arthur's coronation, and as this new age dawns in Camelot, there's really only one question on Merlin's mind. A question he wants to ask Morgana. Fluff.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Merlin. The BBC does.

 **Note 1:** I promised my girlfriend a Fluffy Mergana oneshot a while ago. Unfortunately, fluffy oneshots aren't really my thing (Fluff isn't really my thing most of the time, but my oneshots especially tend towards angst or drama or both) so it took me a while to come up with a plot for one. But here it is, and I'm quite happy with it. I hope the rest of you enjoy it as well.

 **Note 2:** This takes place in a happy little AU where Merlin tells Morgana he has magic and manages to convince her to help him keep Arthur alive so he can be the King that restores magic to the realm. Eventually, she gets sick of Arthur agreeing with Uther so much and shows him she has magic and plays the 'we've known each other since we were kids, am I evil?' card, which starts to put the cracks in Arthur's agreement with Uther on the 'magic is evil' front.

A New Age for Camelot

By Alkeni

It was the day of Arthur's coronation. After years of rule, Uther Pendragon had finally died a month ago, passing silently in his sleep. Arthur had technically been running things in the interim, but there was a certain set of formalities to becoming King in actuality, and of course, the nobles and knights from across Camelot had to be gathered for the event. But finally, Uther's reign of too many years was ended.

Well, too many years as far as Morgana was concerned.

She'd wondered, sometimes, what would have happened if she'd sided with Morgause, when that chance had arisen. But Morgana wouldn't change things to take that chance, even if it meant that Uther could have died sooner. Because it would have meant standing against Merlin, and she had no interest in doing that.

She felt a pair of arms going around her waist and couldn't help the smile that rose to her face as she felt Merlin's breath by her ear. "Thinking about the ceremony?" She smiled even more as he pressed a light kiss to her neck.

"Not so much the ceremony as what will come after, once Arthur's position as King as as secure as it cane be. He's still planning on repealing all of Uther's laws on magic as soon as the ceremony is done, right?" It wasn't that she doubted Arthur. It had taken more effort than she'd thought, but between them, they managed to convince Arthur that magic wasn't evil. Merlin hadn't been happy that she'd just gone and revealed herself to Arthur, but... once it was done...

It _was_ done.

She didn't doubt Arthur's desire to end the cruel laws his father had laid done. He'd done his best to free prisoners, get people found 'innocent' and not catch people – the Druids always managed to stay one step ahead of the Knights, oddly enough – but even then, there was only so much a prince could do.

But with what they'd worked towards for years finally so close... Morgana couldn't help but be anxious that something could change it. Could go wrong.

"He will." Merlin confirmed. "He's already let most of the Knights know about the change. They've had to, since no one has been arrested for using magic since Uther's death." And Morgana knew that most of the Knights had taken the change without much difficulty. They were sworn to obey, and locking up or even executing women and children didn't exactly fit with 'chivalry'. The more resistant knights had been ordered to frontier watch-posts and castles.

"A month without arrests of magic users or people just suspected of knowing one. A first for Camelot in decades." Morgana agreed. She turned around, looking Merlin in the eyes. "Enough talk about Uther and that law." She leaned in close and pressed a kiss to his neck, pulling his scarf – and wasn't it such a _convient_ thing for him to wear every day - back to run her tongue lightly over the mark she'd left there last night, then moving up to whisper breathily in his ear.

"You do know what law Arthur's going to change next, right?" Morgana smirked a little as she asked the question she knew Merlin knew the answer to, as Merlin shivered a little in response to her actions. She pulled back a bit and was rewarded by a flush spreading across Merlin's cheeks.

"Yes." Merlin replied. He didn't need to tell her what it was – Morgana knew full well. Arthur was going to make it possible for a commoner and a noble to marry. Gwen and Arthur had had to wait long enough. She couldn't help but be happy for the maid who had become her friend a long time ago, and still was. _I'm glad Arthur convinced me to tell her._ Morgana had hesitated, in part worried that telling her would risk her being punished by Uther if he'd ever found out about his Ward's magical talents, but... having a confidant of her own gender, especially after... she and Merlin started their own secret courtship, had been something she'd treasured.

The Kingdom would cry foul, she knew, but Arthur didn't care. Neither did Morgana. The Kingdom wouldn't like it when she married Merlin, but she was doing that, one way or the other, even if she had to be the one to ask him instead of the other way around. _Merlin can be so damned dense sometimes._ Then again, he was a _man_.

Everyone in Camelot knew that Merlin was more than just Arthur's servant. Even Uther had accepted that Arthur counted Merlin as a friend, as even an adviser of sorts. But still, he was utterly common in birth. Morgana didn't care about that, and the rest of the Kingdom could go to hell if they thought to make an issue of it.

 _Besides, it will only be the nobility and some of the wealthiest merchants that are upset about it – expecting that Arthur could marry their daughters, that they could foist their sons on me..._

Well, that wasn't going to happen. And the common people – Morgana had no doubts that they'd have _no_ issue at all with the King and his sister in all but blood – Arthur knew the truth about her parentage, but as far as Morgana was concerned, Gorlois had always been her father in every way that counted - marrying commoners.

Merlin licked his lips nervously a moment, then pulled back a step, one hand reaching into his pocket. He took her left hand in his hands, and despite herself, Morgana felt her throat catch. _Is he-_ She hadn't expected... not so soon... not right now...

She watched as Merlin slid a thin gold band onto her left ring finger. There was a jet stone inset into the ring. Her favorite. It was uncommon, little liked by most, but Morgana had always liked what seemed like the elegant grace of a jet. The black of the stone contrasted beautiful with the gold of the ring and with the pale skin of her hand. She felt wetness in the corner of her eyes as she realized Merlin really was.

"Morgana." Merlin said after a moment, still holding her hand. "I love you... more than anything. You've been by my side for years now, my friend, my partner, my love. A new age is coming for Camelot, and I can't think of anything better than to greet it with you by my side." She could see that Merlin's eyes were starting to water just a little themselves, and Morgana didn't even try to the stray happy tear that was sliding down her cheek. "Will you-" Merlin's voice caught a moment, "Will you make me the happiest man in Camelot and consent to be my wife? Morgana, will you marry me?"

Blinking past her happy tears, Morgana nodded, somehow managing to speak past the tightness in her throat. "Yes." The words came out barely above a whisper. She threw her arms around him. "Yes." She said again, managing to speak at a normal volume.

She pressed her lips against Merlin's, feeling happiness swell within her – even the day that Merlin had first told her 'I love you' didn't live up.

 _A new age is coming for Camelot. And I want to spend it with Merlin._

And now she could.


End file.
